1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to toothpaste dispensers, and, more particularly, to devices especially adapted for holding a soft tube that contains toothpaste and for dispensing the toothpaste from the soft tube.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Toothpaste is most commonly packaged in soft tubes, and toothpaste is commonly dispensed from a soft tube by a person manually squeezing the tube. Manual squeezing, however, is often inefficient. The middle of the tube is often squeezed, and a large quantity of toothpaste may be squeezed away from the exit port of the soft tube rather than towards it. Also, when a tube is squeezed and resqueezed numerous times, the material comprising the tube often fatigues and may crack or rupture, thereby permitting toothpaste to be squeezed out from the cracks or ruptures.
To overcome some of these problems associated with manually squeezing soft tubes to dispense toothpaste, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to devices for squeezing soft toothpaste tubes to dispense toothpaste therefrom, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,568,921, 2,643,795, 4,450,982, and 5,035,347. More specifically, the devices disclosed in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,568,921, 2,643,795, and 4,450,982 have a common characteristic. That is, a closed end of a soft tube is rotated and formed on a spool, and the spool is translated toward the open end of the soft tube as toothpaste is dispensed from the tube. To provide this translation of the spool towards the open end of the soft tube, a relatively complex device is required. To avoid such complexities, it would be desirable if a soft tube dispenser apparatus were provided which does not cause a spooled end of a soft tube to translate towards the open end of the soft tube as material is dispensed from the soft tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,347 a dispenser in which the closed end of a soft tube is squeezed to dispense toothpaste from the open end, and the closed end of the tube is not translated towards the open end. However, the closed end of the soft tube is not formed as a spool as the toothpaste is dispensed from the soft tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,975 may be of interest for its disclosure of a wall-mounted device for dispensing bulk material. A soft tube containing toothpaste is not employed.
Still other features would be desirable in a soft tube dispenser apparatus. Rather than mounting a toothpaste on a vertical surface, such as a wall, it would be desirable to provide a soft tube dispenser apparatus that is supported on a horizontal surface.
Also, as toothpaste is dispensed from a soft tube, it would be desirable if the soft tube is properly oriented with respect to the spool that is formed. In this respect, it would be desirable if a guide would provided to properly orient the soft tube as toothpaste is dispensed from the soft tube.
For dispensing toothpaste from a soft tube, it would be desirable that the dispensing action be smooth and readily controllable, so as not to waste toothpaste or dispense more toothpaste than desired. To provide for a smooth and controllable dispensing action, it would be desirable if a bearing member and a bearing support member were provided for a reel support axle that is attached to a manually turnable handle.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use devices for dispensing toothpaste from a soft tube, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a soft tube dispenser apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not cause a spooled end of a soft tube to translate towards the open end of the soft tube as material is dispensed from the soft tube; (2) is supported on a horizontal surface; (3) has a guide to properly orient the soft tube as toothpaste is dispensed from the soft tube; and (4) provides a bearing member and a bearing support member for a reel support axle that is attached to a manually turnable handle. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique soft tube dispenser apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a dispenser apparatus for dispensing the contents of a soft tube and includes a base member which includes a base floor and a base top. A bearing support member is attached to the base top. A bearing member is received in the bearing support member. A handle assembly includes a manually turnable handle and a reel support axle, and the reel support axle is received in the bearing member. A non-slotted end of a reel member is received on the reel support axle. The reel member includes a tube reception slot.
The base member can include a hollow interior filled with a weight ballast material. The weight ballast material is relatively dense material and can be selected from the group consisting of iron, steel, sand, and other suitable dense materials. The base floor can have a bottom exterior surface coated with a non-slip plastic material.
A tube supporter member is connected to the base member. The tube supporter member includes a central tube reception portion. The base member includes a support member reception slot for receiving a bottom end of the tube supporter member.
The handle assembly includes a manually turnable handle, and a reel support axle extending out from the manually turnable handle. The bearing support member and the bearing member have a longitudinal bearing length, and the reel support axle has a longitudinal reel length. The reel support axle is greater than the longitudinal bearing length. The difference between the longitudinal reel length and the longitudinal bearing length defines an exposed reel length. The manually turnable handle is in a form of a disk or thumbwheel.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such soft tube dispenser apparatus available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus which does not cause a spooled end of a soft tube to translate towards the open end of the soft tube as material is dispensed from the soft tube.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus that is supported on a horizontal surface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus which has a guide to properly orient the soft tube as toothpaste is dispensed from the soft tube.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved soft tube dispenser apparatus that provides a bearing member and a bearing support member for a reel support axle that is attached to a manually turnable handle.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.